Can't Forget You
by LilyGhost
Summary: After spending the night with Stephanie, Ranger decides to put some distance between them not realizing that staying away from Stephanie will prove to be impossible. Told from Ranger's POV.


**I was in the process of finishing up an update for one of my stories when I heard "Can't Forget You" by My Darkest Days. The song gave me the idea for this story and I decided to take an hour or two to complete it so I could concentrate on the other one again. All familiar characters belong to Janet. The mistakes are mine. Warnings for a little language since I tend to swear more when I'm in Ranger's head. **

"You fucked her, didn't you?" Tank asked me.

"Watch your mouth, Tank."

"Watch my ...?" Tank's usual blank face suddenly registered shock. "_Holy fuck! _Are you in love with her?"

In love with Stephanie Plum?

"No," I told him.

I have no doubt I'll pay for that lie later.

"Shit, man. What about Morelli?"

"What about him?" I asked.

If Stephanie wants to be with Morelli after what we did with each other, I'm not going to stand in her way.

"Maybe it's just me," Tank said, "but I'd think fucking another man's woman would make the guy a little testy."

Tank didn't even attempt to move his jaw out of the way of the incoming fist. The discomfort caused by my knuckles splitting against Tank's face was a welcome distraction from the pain I'm currently feeling in other regions of my body.

The six and a half foot tall, continual pain in my ass was grinning as he wiped blood off his lip.

"You _do _love her, don't you? I can read you, Ranger, and it looks like Stephanie's already done a number on you."

"_She _hasn't done anything," I told him.

It's not Stephanie's fault that I can't keep my dick away from her.

"She's going to have to do _something _when Morelli finds out you spent the night in her bed," Tank told me, suddenly a fucking expert on relationships.

Except I'm not in a relationship with Stephanie.

"She'll do what she always does," I said. "Stephanie will stick with Morelli and he'll keep pretending that she's not interested in me."

"Stephanie's not a woman who sleeps around. If she had sex with you after all this time of you two being just friends, that changes things. Ranger, you weren't just poaching this time. You've now staked out the hunting ground and seem willing to shoot anyone who comes near what you've essentially declared your personal property."

"Have you been watching Oprah again?" I asked Tank, to get his mind off me and onto his disturbing addiction to talk shows.

"Yes, but that has nothing to do with what I'm telling you."

"Stephanie has a boyfriend," I told Tank. "I may have disrespected that once, but it won't happen again. I'll stay away from her until I get my shit together."

"Whatever you say, Boss," Tank said, screwing his face up into a smirk.

If he keeps this up, Tank's going to be losing all the teeth behind that shit-eating grin.

"Don't get your balls in a twist," Tank told me. "I'm just saying that I've known you for years, and I've never seen you act like this over a woman."

"And you won't again," I stated. "Stephanie is a one-time thing. Her and I can't happen for a number of reasons, so she can't mean more to me than a one-night stand."

"I hate to break this to you, Ranger, but she already does," Tank said to me, no hint of humor in his voice or face this time.

Fuck.

It didn't take me long to realize that Tank had never been more right about anything in his life. I did exactly what I told him I was going to do that day. I walked away. From Stephanie, from my own feelings regarding her, and from any potential we had together. I had things to do. I needed to get the two newest branches of my company off the ground. I had skips for Vinnie waiting to be caught. And a no-strings lifestyle to stick to.

When I made that rule, I hadn't been anywhere close to meeting Stephanie yet. And now having experienced a woman like her, I'm fucked. It's been exactly seven days since I've seen her, and every fucking second of the past week has been pure hell. Mental replays of our one night together have been haunting the shit out of me. The sound of Stephanie laughing when I shared Tank's propensity for cats and chic shows, remembering the exact pattern the sun had made across Stephanie's bare back that morning, and recalling just how tightly her body gripped mine, are slowly eating a hole in me. And I don't know what to do about it.

Every hour without her is more painful than the one before. I knew I couldn't go to Stephanie like this without scaring the shit out of her, so I forced myself to sit here for the sixth night in a row and wonder if this self-imposed separation is hurting her as much as it is me. Or maybe Morelli has been successful in taking her mind completely off it and off _me_. My gut and hands tightened simultaneously. If he so much as looks at her ...

I shook my head at the possessive feelings tearing through me. Morelli can do whatever he wants to. I hadn't made any promises to Stephanie. I did my damndest to make sure no other man will ever measure up to me, but with someone like Stephanie, incredible sex isn't a deal-sealer. I took another sip of the amber-colored liquor in front of me and tried to block her out of my mind again. I have a job first thing in the morning and I need a clear head to do it. I knew if I kept thinking about Stephanie, I'd down the whole glass and go back for more.

I checked the time on my watch. Looks like I'm nearing _eight _days without her. I pushed back from the table and headed to the bedroom. Sleep isn't going to happen tonight, or tomorrow night either, but at least I won't be lying when Tank asks me again if I've gone to bed. I'd be in bed, but that's it. Not for the first time, I hoped Stephanie wasn't in Morelli's.

Logically, I know I don't have the right to be jealous, but that didn't stop the emotion. I took a fast shower and used plain soap instead of my usual Bulgari shower gel because even that reminded me of Stephanie. She's always saying that she loves what I use. Now there's no point since she isn't here to appreciate the scent. That it's my fault she isn't with me doesn't make it easier to get a handle on. So much for forgetting about her. Turns out, I can't forget, regret, or ignore _anything _about Stephanie. And I'm starting to think that maybe there's a way I don't have to. I got into bed, fixed my eyes on a point above me, and spent the hours until daylight thinking about how I could live with Stephanie since I can't seem to live without her.

"Have you heard about Stephanie?" Tank asked me the following morning.

Just hearing her name made me want to turn the truck around and tell him to go after Sherbrook without me. I'm not in the mood to discuss her with anyone, since there's a ninety percent chance Tank is going to tell me that Stephanie agreed to marry that asshole since I went AWOL on her.

"You're not at all curious about what I might say?" He asked me.

"No."

I couldn't be until I figured out how to either let go of Stephanie or rebuild my life around her. Both seemed impossible right now. I have people trying to kill me daily. I'm gone for weeks on end without anyone knowing where I am. And the hardest sell of all is that I fucking suck at telling people I love that I love them. I'm not a package most women would want to be saddled with long term.

"Ranger, Stephanie broke up with Morelli," Tank told me.

I slammed on the brakes before I remembered that I'm currently driving down a busy street.

"What?" I asked, cutting my eyes to Tank, taking my Bates boot off the brake and putting it back on the gas.

"The cop's history," Tank said. "Connie and Lula were talking about it at the bonds office. Even they think something happened between you and Steph to make her opt-out of marital bliss with Dog Boy."

I didn't comment on the Morelli dig.

"Did they happen to mention how Stephanie is doing?" I asked, despising the fact that I don't know the answer to that myself.

"I didn't have to rely on bonds office gossip for that one," Tank told me, the irritating smirk back on his face.

He clearly knows something I don't.

"Unless you want your mother to be planning your funeral tomorrow, spit it out."

"Stephanie called me this morning," Tank said.

Fuck traffic. I pulled into a gas station without bothering with a turn signal, put the truck in park, and turned all my attention to the information Tank had better share with me. Fast.

"What did Stephanie want?" I asked him.

"My guess would be _you._"

"Cut the shit, Tank."

He put both his hands up in a defensive gesture. The fucker is enjoying this.

"No shit to cut," he told me. "Steph wanted to make sure you're alright since you hadn't returned the message she left you. I told her that aside from you acting like a prick, you're fine. You'll be happy to know, she found that answer about as funny as you do."

"So she knows I'm not dead," I said. "What else?"

"I mentioned that we had a job scheduled for this morning, and I promised Stephanie that'd I'd keep you not dead during it."

I really am going to beat the shit out of him as soon as I get all the info I need.

"Go on," I told Tank.

"Steph asked when I thought we'd be finished and back at Rangeman. Seems she's not going to just sit around and wait for you to unstick your head from wherever it's lodged. I wouldn't be surprised if Steph beat us there."

Tank looked proud. Could be of himself or could be of Stephanie.

"_What_?" I asked.

"Stephanie wouldn't be the right woman if she didn't fight for you, Ranger. Apparently you've underestimated her and what's between you. Do it again and we're going to have a serious problem between _us._"

"I can kick your ass without even trying, Tank."

"True. But unlike Stephanie, I can do some damage to you for hurting her before I go down."

"She's done damage," I admitted, thinking of my sleepless nights, lack of appetite, and the loss of _give a damn _about everything I used to think was important to me.

Making Rangeman a successful, profitable, multi-state company had been my ultimate goal, but when I no longer gave a shit about what I was doing everyday, I realized my priorities have shifted. Being financially stable and well respected won't do shit for my current problem, which is what do I do about Stephanie?

"Good. Maybe after we snag Sherbrook, you can get busy repairing what damage you've caused."

I sure as hell can try. Clearly being without Stephanie isn't working. That she was willing to ask about me even though I've treated her like shit meant that she cared enough to at least find out why I've chosen avoidance over being straight with her.

"Let's go," I said to Tank, and pulled back into traffic.

I had Sherbrook bagged and tagged in less time than it took to drive to the police station. Since the job was over earlier than the time Tank gave Stephanie, I decided to try to catch her at her apartment before she left. _If _she was even coming to Rangeman at all. I pulled up to the Rangeman gate, and waited only long enough for Tank to get his ass out of my truck before high-tailing it to Stephanie's building. What I intend to say to her, I don't need the men here to witness.

It took half a second after turning into her lot for me to note that Stephanie's still here, but she wasn't alone. I could feel her gaze on me as I parked. I got out and Steph's eyes met mine over Morelli's head. Her cheeks were pink, no doubt remembering exactly what we'd done the last time we were this close to each other, but her eyes were a little sad. Shit. _I _did that to her. I should have let Tank knock me around just for that.

"Babe," was the only thing I could think to say with Morelli standing there.

Standing too fucking close to her in my opinion. Tank had been onto something, because I really wanted to shoot Joe for almost touching her. Morelli's right hand was hovering close to Steph's cheek, like he'd been in the process of cupping it until I arrived and ruined the moment. Now _I _was smirking. I have every intention of ruining any potential Morelli moment from now on.

"Manoso," Joe said, moving the offending hand away from Steph's face, and looking not at all happy to see me. "What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you were 'in the wind' again."

"I'm back," I told him, but hadn't taken my eyes off Stephanie's blue ones.

I was hoping she'd understand what I was saying with those two words. That I'm back in her life if she'll have me, and nothing would get me out of it again. Especially the 'Italian Stallion' here.

"Joe was just leaving," Stephanie said, and the sound of her voice sent an involuntary shiver through me.

It's been too long since I've heard it.

"Cupcake ..."

"No, Joe," she told him. "I promised to listen to what you had to say, but it doesn't change what we already talked about."

Morelli looked at her. "You're still going through with it, aren't you?" He asked her.

Going through with what? Is Stephanie still single or had they worked things out? Was she thinking of changing more than just her personal life? My hands made fists at my side. I _hated _not knowing what's going on in Stephanie's mind.

"Yes, Joe," Steph said to him. "I'm sorry."

You could tell Joe didn't like whatever Stephanie was going to do, and _I _didn't like him knowing something I don't. First Tank. Now 'Dog Boy'. Me being in the dark stops now.

"Bye, Morelli," I told him. "Stephanie and I need to talk."

Joe had his cop face on, but he wasn't in any hurry to leave us alone.

"Are you sure, Steph?" He asked her.

"Yes," she said. "Even if nothing comes of it, I have to."

Although my facial features were stuck on expressionless, Stephanie and Joe must have figured out that I was done waiting to hear what the fuck they're talking about.

"Good luck, Cupcake. You're sure as hell going to need it."

And he stalked back to his truck. I stood an arm's length away from Stephanie while we watched him drive off. As soon as Morelli's back bumper cleared her lot, I was reaching for her.

"What's going on?" I asked Stephanie.

She sighed. "You didn't want to see or speak to me in days, and _that's _the first thing you ask?"

"_Want _didn't play a part in this, Babe. I thought I was doing the right thing for both of us, but I may have been wrong."

"_May have_?" she asked.

"Fine. I was _very _wrong. And I came over here to tell you exactly why I was, but I want to know what the hell you and Morelli were speaking in code about."

"I'm more interested in hearing about you being wrong," she said. "This could be the first time in history you admit to it."

"_Stephanie _..." I warned.

No way are we leaving this lot until I know what Stephanie's doing that appeared life-changing to both her and Joe.

"You don't get to show up here and make demands after a week of ignoring me."

"You're right, I don't. But I'm demanding an answer anyway. Does this have anything to do with your call to Tank this morning?"

"I had a feeling he'd blab," Steph told me.

"Tank seldom passes up an opportunity to tell me that I've fucked up."

"I'm glad," she said, "because you _did _fuck up."

"Irreversibly?" I asked, needing to know just how angry she is with me.

"If I was a smarter woman, I'd say yes."

"I hear a but in there," I told her, sliding my arms around her, now thinking that she'd give me a little warning before going for a nut-crusher with her knee.

"_But ..._ I'm going to assume that you had a reason for leaving me after the best night of my life."

Looks like I managed to do one thing right ... _her_.

"I thought I had a good reason," I told her, "but I'm finding out that there isn't _ever _going to be a good enough reason to leave you."

"Okay," she said. "Keep talking."

Stephanie wasn't going to let me get away without talking about this, but to encourage me to spill my guts - or maybe to distract me from it - Steph let her forearms rest on my shoulders, leaving her hands free to touch my neck, my hair ... making pleasure shoot down my body. My dick - along with the rest of my anatomy - definitely missed the attention of those particular hands.

"Babe, if you keep touching me, I'm going to be doing something to you other than talking, and I'd really like to know what you're planning on doing that made Morelli look like he caught Bob peeing in his Cheerios."

Her eyebrows raised. "Lester?"

"Yes. The idiot's vocabulary is about as advanced as his thinking. You're not skipping town are you?"

"No. What Joe and I were talking about is much scarier than finding a new home or job."

"Well ...?"

She took a deep breath, causing her breasts to push into my chest. But for the first time I forced myself to ignore them. I had to know what I was dealing with here.

"When I told Joe that I wasn't going to see him anymore," she started, "he didn't believe me."

"Both of you do have an unhealthy pattern of behavior," I told her.

"_Did_," she said.

"Did, what?" I asked.

"We _did _have an unhealthy pattern of behavior, but I've since changed that."

"How?" I asked her. "Morelli was just here. To me, that looks like he didn't take you seriously."

"Until you showed up, right?" She asked.

"Morelli wasn't thrilled to see me," I told her, "but that's nothing new."

"But this time he knew what you showing up meant," she said, cryptically.

That didn't make any sense, because Steph had no idea that I was on my way here.

"Ranger, what Joe and I were referring to was what I'd told him the day I broke things off, which in case you wanted to know, was the same day you apparently decided to leave me."

My heart was suddenly pumping faster.

"What exactly did you tell Morelli?" I asked.

"That when you came back, or when I built up enough courage to hunt you down myself, I was going to come right out and say that ... I love you, Ranger. There, I finally said it."

Then she did a full circle scan of the parking lot.

"What are you looking for?" I asked her, suddenly worried that she'd picked up a new stalker and is now a target because we've been talking out in the open.

"Nothing," she told me. "It's just that I always thought the earth would stop spinning or the ground would open up and swallow me whole if I ever told you to your face that I love you."

It took a collective effort of every muscle in my face to hold my smile in, but I managed it. This isn't the way I'd pictured saying the same to her.

"Babe, I think the planet's demise is set aside for when _I _say it back."

"Any idea when that'll be?" She asked me. "I might have to plan for it. Maybe stock up on supplies and stuff. The end of the world is serious business."

"It is, but not as serious as me saying that I love you, too, Babe."

"Which you do?" She asked me.

"Yes."

"And you're sorry for being such a dick to me?"

"Extremely."

"And you're going to spend the rest of your life making it up to me?"

"Definitely."

"You know ... I really like your one word answers. I've got one more question for you. You're _in _love with me on top of loving me?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay, then."

"That's it?" I asked her. "You're not going to take a shot at me, punch me, or knee me in the nuts for disappearing after the best night of _my _life?"

"No. I hurt enough when I realized that you were purposely avoiding me. I spent a few days hating you, then myself, and I don't want to hurt _you _or _me _anymore. But if you do anything like that again, I swear to God, Ranger, I'll shoot you, punch you, and do more than knee you in the balls, I'll remove them with a weed whacker. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," I said, before my mouth came down on hers.

She'll need that no bullshit attitude to make it work with me. I'll never again doubt that Stephanie Plum can handle the job of loving me.


End file.
